A few weeks ago the AL playoff race looked like it was down to five teams. But with Cleveland losing tonight and New York, Minnesota and Toronto winning, the AL Wild card gets a bit tighter. That puts the Yankees three back of Cleveland, Toronto five and Toronto seven, with Seattle one back pending [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:55 pm | Division Races | Permalink | 1 Comment
July 31, 2007
No Win for Glavine
Bill Hall doubles in the tying run in the bottom of the eighth to take the decision out of Glavine’s hands. Heilman, Feliciano and Mota combine to allow a single, a hit batter and the double to end the bid for 300.
Posted by David Pinto at 10:44 pm | Records | Permalink | 2 Comments
July 31, 2007
Braves Offense
Without Teixeira in the lineup, the Braves break ten runs for the second game in a row as they defeat the Astros 12-4. The youngsters McCann, Francoeur and Johnson combined for four home runs (two for Johnson) and ten RBI. And even without Dotel, the Braves bullpen managed four hitless, scoreless innings. [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:34 pm | Games | Permalink | 1 Comment
July 31, 2007
Texas Survives without Gagne
The Rangers get a good start from Brandon McCarthy and a save from C.J. Wilson as they defeat the Indians 3-1. McCarthy has pitched well since May 1st, going 4-3 with a 3.69 ERA.
Posted by David Pinto at 9:56 pm | Games | Permalink | No Comments
July 31, 2007
Glavine in the Lead
The Mets score two for Glavine in the top of the sixth as Wright and Alou drive in runs. Glavine walks two in the bottom of the inning and winds up with men on first and third with two out when Shawn Green makes a nice diving catch in foul territory to end the inning. [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:49 pm | Records | Permalink | No Comments
July 31, 2007
Getting Ridiculous
Johnny Damon just homered leading off the bottom of the seventh to extend the Yankees lead over the White Sox to 15-3. It’s the seventh home run in the game for New York by the sixth different batter (Matsui has two). The only players without homers in the game for New York are [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:40 pm | Games | Permalink | No Comments
July 31, 2007
Making Him Earn It
Jeff Suppan is making Tom Glavine work for his 300th win tonight. Suppan’s allowed just one hit and two walks through four innings as the Brewers bat in the bottom of the fourth with the game scoreless. Glavine as allowed one hit and two walks also, through three.
Update: Fielder drives in a run [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:06 pm | Records | Permalink | No Comments
July 31, 2007
Carmona Allows a Run
Fausto Carmona ran his streak to 22 scoreless innings before the Rangers’ Nelson Cruz delivered a solo home run in the fifth inning. Carmona is pitching well but McCarthy is pitching better as the Rangers lead 1-0.
Posted by David Pinto at 8:24 pm | Pitchers | Permalink | No Comments
July 31, 2007
A-Rod the Only One Not Hitting
Five of the first six Yankees pick up hits, with Abreu and Matsui hitting home runs to put the Yankees up 4-0 on the White Sox. Alex Rodriguez flew out to right, the only out in the inning. Matsui’s home run was his twelfth of the month, and that leads the league.
Update: Mussina [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 7:30 pm | Games | Permalink | No Comments
July 31, 2007
Please, Someone fire Dave Littlefield
I’ve been hearing about this trade for the last hour or so, but I wanted to believe it wasn’t true:
The Giants traded pitcher Matt Morris to the Pittsburgh Pirates today for rookie outfielder Rajai Davis and a player to be determined.
The trade was unusual in that teams not in the playoff contention don’t look to [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 6:11 pm | Trades | Permalink | 4 Comments
July 31, 2007
Padres Deals
The Padres made three deals at the deadline, none of them blockbusters.
The San Diego Padres made three trades Tuesday, getting infielder Morgan Ensberg from the Houston, outfielder-infielder Rob Mackowiak from the Chicago White Sox and reliever Wilfredo Ledezma from Atlanta.
San Diego, in the thick of the NL West and wild-card races, completed the trades shortly [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 5:11 pm | Trades | Permalink | 3 Comments
July 31, 2007
Teixeira Deal Done
BBTN just announced that the Braves and Rangers completed the Mark Teixeira deal.
Update: This move certainly helps the Braves. Combined first base statistics for the Braves this year: .211/.270/.363. That’s a bad middle infielder. The Braves weakness on offense was obvious, and they’ve plugged the whole. I wonder about Teixeira’s upside [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 2:50 pm | Trades | Permalink | 5 Comments
July 31, 2007
Gagne to the Red Sox?
Baseball Tonight is talking about Eric Gagne going to the Red Sox for CF Murphy and Kason Gabbard. Gagne has to approve the trade, but will he if the Sox are going to continue to use Papelbon as the closer?
Update: Here’s a story from Ken Rosenthal at Fox. (Thanks to David Sussman for the [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 2:32 pm | Trades | Permalink | 4 Comments
July 31, 2007
Betemit for Proctor
ESPN is reporting a likely deal between the Yankees and Dodgers:
The Dodgers and Yankees have agreed in principle on a trade that would send reliever Scott Proctor to the Dodgers for infielder Wilson Betemit, sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Buster Olney.
Here’s why:
The Yankees view Betemit as another first-base/DH/bench option for this year, and a [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 12:37 pm | Trades | Permalink | No Comments
July 31, 2007
Reviewing the Convention
Aaron Gleeman writes about his trip to the SABR convention.
Posted by David Pinto at 11:44 am | Statistics | Permalink | 1 Comment
July 31, 2007
Tasting Dodger Dogs
Jack Curry finally gets to cover a game at Dodger Stadium:
Thank you, Barry Bonds.
Because Bonds is still chasing Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record and because I’m covering it, Bonds has helped me complete an 18-year journey. When I walk into the press box at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, I will have covered a game [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 11:36 am | Stadiums | Permalink | No Comments
July 31, 2007
Games of the Day
Photo: Mark Goldman/Icon SMI
The night starts off with an excellent pitching matchup as Erik Bedard and the Orioles visit the Red Sox and Josh Beckett. Bedard blowing away the rest of the American League in strikeouts and with a .213 batting average allowed is a big reason the Orioles starters are the toughest to [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:20 am | Matchups | Permalink | 2 Comments
July 31, 2007
Rookie Relief
Jordan Tata gave the Tigers a lift Monday night:
Right-hander Jordan Tata, stepping in for injured Kenny Rogers, gave the Tigers a badly needed quality start Monday night.
And Tata, in his first big-league start, was rewarded with his first big-league victory. The Tigers, down a run after five innings, scored twice in both the sixth and [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:06 am | Pitchers | Permalink | No Comments
July 31, 2007
Daily Dose of Data
The Day by Day Database is up to date.
Posted by David Pinto at 7:41 am | Statistics | Permalink | No Comments
July 31, 2007
The Bat and the Batista
The Mariners had two big bats tonight as they defeat the Angels 2-0. Ichrio picked up three hits. He tripled and scored and later singled on a bad hop that bounced over Kotchmann to drive in an insurance run. The other big bat was Miguel Batista, who threw seven shutout innings against [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 12:39 am | Games | Permalink | 1 Comment
July 30, 2007
Footnote
Asterisks are very popular this season.
Posted by David Pinto at 11:59 pm | Public Relations | Permalink | No Comments
July 30, 2007
Baking the Royals
As well as Cole Hamels pitched tonight, Scott Baker pitched better. He also went eight innings, but allowed just two hits and no walks while striking out seven. He worked efficiently, throwing 99 pitches, 70 for strikes. He’s walked five in May, June and July, but in 16 2/3, 22 1/3 and [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:36 pm | Games | Permalink | No Comments
July 30, 2007
Bad Base Running
The Devil Rays scored single runs in the eighth and ninth to tie the game at four and send the Blue Jays into extra innings. But in the tenth a base running blunder would make Leonard Pinth-Garnell proud. With men on first and second and two outs, Delmon Young singled up the [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:27 pm | Games | Permalink | No Comments
July 30, 2007
Building the Nest
Sox Nest presents video of Daisuke Matsuzaka’s battle with a Japanese mascot.
Posted by David Pinto at 10:21 pm | Blogs | Permalink | No Comments
July 30, 2007
Young King Cole
Photo: Bob Levey/Icon SMI
Cole Hamels pitches a very nice game tonight, allowing just three hits while striking out eight. His only mistake was a home run to Ryan The”Quiet”riot. Hamels now has allowed 23 home runs this season, but 19 were solo shots, as Theriot’s was tonight. He’s reminding me of Curt [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:01 pm | Pitchers | Permalink | No Comments
July 30, 2007
Three for the Price of One
Bonds, A-Rod and Glavine can all achieve milestones on the same day.
Posted by David Pinto at 9:55 pm | Records | Permalink | No Comments
July 30, 2007
Pedro to Pitch
Pedro Martinez is ready for his first rehab assignment:
At a news conference at the Mets’ spring training complex, Martinez said he plans to throw 45 pitches Wednesday for the St. Lucie Mets and could make another start for the Class A team before determining the next step in his comeback.
“I don’t know how I’m going [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:28 pm | Injuries | Permalink | 3 Comments
July 30, 2007
Getting Better All the Time
Alex Rios hit a triple and double in three at bats tonight, giving him fifty four extra-base hits on the season. He collected fifty six all last year. He’s increased his extra-base hit total every year since his rookie season. The Jays lead the Rays 3-2 in the top of the sixth.
Posted by David Pinto at 8:33 pm | Players | Permalink | No Comments
July 30, 2007
Chase Iguchi
Tadahito Iguchi homered and walked in three trips to the plate so far tonight as he continues to do a good job replacing Utley. If he can stay hot for just a month, the Phillies can weather Chase’s injury very well. The Phillies lead the Cubs 4-0 in the top of the fifth. [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:27 pm | Players | Permalink | No Comments
July 30, 2007
Home Baked Pie
Felix Pie is staying put:
General manager Jim Hendry put an end to speculation that the Cubs would deal their top prospect, telling reporters before Monday’s game against Philadelphia that he has no intention of dealing Pie.
“Felix Pie has never been talked about,” Hendry said. “He’s not going anywhere in any deal. There will be no [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 6:23 pm | Players | Permalink | 1 Comment
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